Skip to main content

Creating the Wealth

1883-1923

The Pitcairn story, like so many cherished American success stories, begins with an entrepreneurial immigrant, John Pitcairn, Jr., who makes his fortune in energy, manufacturing, and private equity. The wealth he accumulates, along with the values he embraces—integrity, community, service—will leave an indelible imprint on the Pitcairn family as well as the firm that bears its name.

Madison, Wisconsin storefront of Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG), founded by John Pitcairn, Jr.

Pitcairn Plate Glass Company
Pitcairn Plate Glass Company

Madison, Wisconsin storefront of Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG), founded by John Pitcairn, Jr.

Pitcairn family photo

John Pitcairn, Jr. with his children Raymond, Vera, Theodore, and Harold.

1883

With capital he accumulated from investment partnerships in natural gas, John Pitcairn, Jr. co-founds Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (PPG). PPG goes on to dominate the U.S. glass market by exploiting superior European glass-production methods.

1900

PPG begins diversifying into other products, becoming the nation’s second-largest producer of paint. The company’s stunning success enables John to become an early private equity investor, with stakes in manufacturing, banking, chemicals, and even sugar.

1905

Recognizing the importance of clear-eyed succession planning, John taps a non-family executive as the person best suited to succeed him as head of PPG. This enables the three sons he fathered with his wife, Gertrude—Raymond, Theodore, and Harold—to pursue their own callings in such diverse fields as architecture, theology, and aviation.

1916

John Pitcairn, Jr. dies, leaving his assets to be divided among his three sons and their families.

Preserve & Protect

1923-1958

Seven years after John’s death, the three brothers move to preserve and pass on the family wealth by pooling their assets into a holding company, The Pitcairn Company. The defining theme of this generational transition—reimagining the family enterprise with the help of outside talent—will set the tone for Pitcairn’s journey to become the firm it is today.

1930's Pitcairn Family Office

Brothers Raymond and Theo Pitcairn.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower visits Cairnwood Estate in Bryn Athyn, PA. | Harold F. Pitcairn receives the Collier Trophy in 1930 for his development and application of the autogiro.

Harold Frederick Pitcairn 1930's

President Dwight D. Eisenhower visits Cairnwood Estate in Bryn Athyn, PA.

1923

Raymond, Theodore, and Harold (who remain majority shareholders of PPG) establish The Pitcairn Company, which spares no expense in hiring the best tax lawyers, accountants, estate planners, and advisors to manage the affairs of their three households.

1950

With the three brothers each fathering nine children, the family grows rapidly. By 1950, The Pitcairn Company serves 61 direct descendants of John and Gertrude, not including spouses.

1958

Pitcairn Company president Raymond Pitcairn chooses his son-in-law, James “Jim” Jungé, as his successor, revealing an inclusive understanding of family enterprise that recognizes leadership potential beyond blood relatives. Jim immediately sets out to reshape the family office for the next generation.

Diversifying

1958-1987

Raymond Pitcairn’s son-in-law, James “Jim” Jungé, oversees sweeping changes to governance and investment strategy at the Pitcairn family office. Even so, changes in U.S. tax law and the increasingly diverse needs of family members lead Pitcairn to a monumental decision: to open a trust company and enable other families to become Pitcairn clients.

Pitcairn invested in Quotron - an early stock ticker machine

Pitcairn was an early investor in the Quotron, a machine that delivered stock market quotes to an electronic screen.

Pitcairn invested in Quotron - an early stock ticker machine

Pitcairn was an early investor in the Quotron, a machine that delivered stock market quotes to an electronic screen.

James "Jim" Jungé, standing in front of a portrait of his father-in-law, Raymond Pitcairn, presents to shareholders, circa 1970.

1962

Under Jim Jungé, Pitcairn builds out an investment function on par with major banks and other wealth managers—remarkable for a single-family office at the time. Jungé also convinces fellow family members to re-invest their PPG dividends into the business, tripling the company’s share price.

1972

Recognizing the importance of portfolio diversification to the family’s long-term financial well-being, Jungé sees to it that Pitcairn replaces a big chunk of its PPG stock with stakes in real estate, venture capital, and private equity. For the first time, PPG stock accounts for less than
50 percent of Pitcairn’s assets.

1982

Pitcairn’s “auxiliary board,” later renamed the family council, is formed to democratize family governance and train the next generation of firm directors. Its architects stipulate that half of the family members who craft the board’s charter (and later join the board itself) should be women.

1986

Faced with the varied needs and asset levels of a growing multigenerational family, Pitcairn liquidates the family’s remaining PPG stock and restructures the holding company. This move enables diversified, long-term investing on a broader scale.

“One of the lessons we learned was that a family enterprise can’t put all its eggs in one basket. You have to have a bench of next-generation leaders.”

Clark Pitcairn, Chairman, Pitcairn Company

In Transition

1987-2007

The Pitcairn Trust Company invites other, non-Pitcairn families to join them in a multi-family office. The firm goes on to create sophisticated investment products and an innovative charitable vehicle for its new clients. As Pitcairn learns to serve other families, a focus on investments is augmented by an emphasis on the integrated client experience that had defined Pitcairn from the beginning.

In this video, Andrew Pitcairn explains why 1987 was a pivotal year for the family office. (Pictured: Pitcairn's headquarters, One Pitcairn Place, Jenkintown, PA)

H.F. “Rick” Pitcairn, II, and Jim Jungé celebrate the firm's 75th anniversary in 1998.

H.F. “Rick” Pitcairn, II, and Jim Jungé celebrate the firm's 75th anniversary in 1998.

1987

The Pitcairn Trust Company is established and announces it will begin welcoming non-Pitcairn families as clients.

1989

Pitcairn launches the Family Heritage Fund, one of several new proprietary investment products, which recognizes the unique qualities of family businesses like PPG and Pitcairn itself. The fund delivers an annualized return of nearly 10 percent between 1989 and 2006.

1996

Pitcairn launches the National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), the brainchild of fourth-generation family member Clark Pitcairn, to manage and advise families’ charitable giving. NPT succeeds beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, with $15 billion given away over the next 15 years.

2004

H.F. “Rick” Pitcairn, II, a fourth-generation family member, joins Pitcairn on the investment team to explore open-architecture platform options.

“Declaring yourself a multifamily office doesn't make you a multifamily office. You’ve got to learn a different way of serving others versus serving yourself.”

Chris Kerr, Fifth generation family member

Evolution & Growth

2007-2019

Under the leadership of fourth-generation family member Dirk Jungé, son of Jim Jungé, and Leslie Voth, a rising non-family leader of the firm, Pitcairn embraces an integrated service model that can be tailored to the needs of client families.
The firm enjoys robust growth as it shifts to an open-architecture investment platform, begins taking on single family offices (SFOs) as clients, and moves to better articulate its distinctive approach.

The Pitcairn team celebrate a win at the 2018 Family Wealth Alliance Best in Industry Awards.

The Pitcairn team celebrate a win at the 2018 Family Wealth Alliance Best in Industry Awards.

Leslie Voth and Dirk Jungé in 2012.

2007

Board chairman Dirk Jungé, son of Jim Jungé, becomes Pitcairn’s CEO as the firm refocuses on the integrated and holistic set of services it can offer to multi-generational client families.

2008

Under the leadership of H.F. “Rick” Pitcairn, the firm recommits to being on the same side of the table as its clients, transitioning to an open-architecture investment platform. At the same time, it introduces an innovative, data-driven tax overlay program, which helps clients derive an extraordinary level of tax advantage from their portfolios.

2012

Leslie Voth becomes Pitcairn’s first female president and CEO, elevating women’s voices at the firm as she helps Pitcairn complete its transformation into a shared family office with a diverse professional staff and a growth mindset.

2017

Pitcairn unveils its Wealth Momentum® service model, which articulates the firm’s holistic approach to multigenerational wealth transfer.

"Wealth Momentum® is the total picture of a family’s wealth. It integrates financial and family dynamics into a plan that keeps a family’s momentum going well into the future.”

Andrew L. Busser, President & CEO

Market of One

2020-Present

Pitcairn comes into its own as a “market of one” — a recognized industry pioneer and thought leader with a comprehensive slate of services, an enviable organizational culture, and a distinguished history. During this era, the firm balances ambitions for further growth with values that have long served it well, determined to draw on a century of hard-won lessons that will help even more families “see around corners.”

Pitcairn's 100th anniversary celebration at the Barnes museum in Philadelphia.

Andy Buster, president and CEO

President & CEO Andy Busser; Pitcairn hosts a classic car event in 2023.

Pitcairn team at car show
Andy Buster, president and CEO

President & CEO Andy Busser

2022

Pitcairn serves 110+ multigenerational families including 22 single-family offices, with roughly $7 billion in assets under advisement.

2023

Pitcairn reaches another milestone and celebrates its centennial anniversary. Leslie Voth announces her retirement and passes the CEO baton to Andy Busser, Pitcairn’s President of Family Office.

2024

Pitcairn announces a strategic partnership with Temperance Partners, a private investment firm backed by single family capital with a long-term orientation. This partnership and investment positions Pitcairn for continued growth, as well as future investments in technology, talent, and unique family office client experiences.